John Nicholas Laitinen

John Nicholas Laitinen; age 85; of Orion Twp.; passed away on March 24, 2026 from cancer. Born on October 11, 1940 in Dubuque, Iowa to William and Edna (Williams) Laitinen. The family eventually moved to Green Lake in West Bloomfield, where he developed a love for photography and canoeing. After serving in the Army Reserves, John graduated from Oakland University in 1970 and married the love of his life, Dianne Morse of Oxford. John (Nick to old family & friends) wanted to have a Godly family and looked for a church that preached from the Bible and where the people actually carried the Bible with them to church. He found First Baptist Church of Lake Orion and never left. He was able to see all three of his children and his wife come to know the Lord Jesus Christ as personal Savior. John served faithfully as Deacon, bus driver and as a Sunday School teacher.

John was predeceased in death by his wife Dianne; son Jon Eliott; and all of his siblings. John is survived by sons, Patrick and Timothy (Ashley); and grandchildren, Tristan and Anastasia.

Funeral services will be held at the Lake Orion Baptist Church, 255 East Scripps Road, on Thursday, April 2, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. The family will receive friends for a closed casket visitation from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Sparks-Griffin Funeral Home in Lake Orion. Reflections may be shared by visiting www.sparksgriffin.com. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Lake Orion Baptist Church or to John’s favorite charity, Final Frontiers Foundation at support@finalfrontiers.world.